Rude gesture by Disney over Chanukah

12-05-2007, 06:00 PM

As most everyone's aware, Disneyland doesn't really do anything for Chanukah only Christmas. There are like 13 seconds in the fireworks for the dreidal song, there is a small display of 3 chanukah items they sell(most of them tree ornaments....), and that's about it at Disneyland. I've made threads in the past about my annoyance with this especially in a park full of locals in southern california. But this weekend I was kind of taken aback.

For those who don't know, there is 1 chanukah decoration in the park. A menorah is set in a windowplace above main street just to the right of the crystal palace over a doorway for a practitioner named Benjamin Silverstein.
It's extremely obscure and out of sight. The majority of all Disneyland guests don't notice it and only a few folks who already know about it seem to look at it.

Well, there was 1 Chanukah decoration. They removed it as of this weekend. The timing seems to indicate it was removed coinciding with the candlelight ceremony frankly. Could there have been another reason it was removed? Possibly. But the notion that it may have been removed so that on the off chance someone glances over and sees it while the retelling of the birth of Jesus is taking place a little further down the street.

To make that then worse though is the fact that it was not returned, and as of last night it was not up, the first night of Chanukah which will be lasting for the next 7 days. City Hall hadn't a clue about why it was removed, in fact the people there didn't even know it was there in the first place and I'm really not surprised.

But I find this to be a bad gesture. And it didn't please me at all.
Thanks for reading.

yeah, I have noticed and I really don't like how the whole holiday is ignored while Christmas is shoved in everyones face, but what can you do. It's not just DL...it's been that way everywhere for years.

They should put the menorah back though. Especially since it is Hanukkah right now.

Comment

Disney is being very holiday-inclusive, in my opinion. It is called the holidays at the Disneyland Resort. it's a small world holiday in particular stresses "peace on earth," never mentioning Christmas explicitly. In fact the only entity that specifically mentions Christmas in the name is the parade, and it's over a decade old. (Haunted Mansion Holiday is obviously a clash between Halloween and Christmas, but that's inherent to the story. The title is just holiday.)

The Dradle song in the fireworks show is closer to 30 seconds than 13.

Comment

Disney is being very holiday-inclusive, in my opinion. It is called the holidays at the Disneyland Resort. it's a small world holiday in particular stresses "peace on earth," never mentioning Christmas explicitly.

no, it just plays the song jingle bells....a Christmas song. Calling what is obvious Christmas stuff holiday stuff does not make it less Christmas....

Calling what is obvious Christmas stuff holiday stuff does not make it less Christmas....

Sure it does. Why else do we hear the term "holiday trees" adorned with "holiday lights?" If that isn't a more politically correct way of saying, then you would still see "Christmas trees" and "Christmas lights" in the store ads.

Comment

Disney is being very holiday-inclusive, in my opinion. It is called the holidays at the Disneyland Resort. it's a small world holiday in particular stresses "peace on earth," never mentioning Christmas explicitly. In fact the only entity that specifically mentions Christmas in the name is the parade, and it's over a decade old. (Haunted Mansion Holiday is obviously a clash between Halloween and Christmas, but that's inherent to the story. The title is just holiday.)

The Dradle song in the fireworks show is closer to 30 seconds than 13.

No matter what Disney does, they can accomodate everyone and make them happy. Would you rather they not do anything for the holidays?

Not the point of the thread.

You are all welcome to read this thread from 2 years ago where I briefly debated with people about my feelings about Chanukah being included more in the park.

The point is that something got removed on the evening of a very blatant christian ceremony and then was not replaced in time for the holiday that it actually represents, and who knows if it'll get put back but I mean what are they gonna do get it up in time for Christmas? great...

Comment

You know, even though there is no vocal, there is a Christian hymn played on Main Street right now that begins, if there were words, "Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the King of Creation..."

This is really weird because it is not specifically a Christmas Carol but just a random hymn you would hear played on any given Sunday when at church.

So IMO there is a subconscious acceptance of Christianity in the park, and for Disney to do this to the Menorah is not a good thing, IMO. They should give it not equal time necessarily but they definitely should not take it away.

Comment

Sure it does. Why else do we hear the term "holiday trees" adorned with "holiday lights?" If that isn't a more politically correct way of saying, then you would still see "Christmas trees" and "Christmas lights" in the store ads.

calling it a holiday tree and holiday lights does not make them any less of a chirstmas tree and christmas lights. It is what it is regardless of what you call it. So, the only holiday being represented in DL is christmas...except for one song and a menorah that has gone missing. Disney may as well call it what it is....christmas at DL.